What if the BG tries to leave nicely?

This is a discussion on What if the BG tries to leave nicely? within the Carry & Defensive Scenarios forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Let's say you find a BG in your house during the day so there is plenty of light. Not only was he was not expecting ...

What if the BG tries to leave nicely?

Let's say you find a BG in your house during the day so there is plenty of light. Not only was he was not expecting you, he was not expecting you with a gun. So let's say he is really smart and the conversation goes like this:

You: Stop! Hands in the air!

BG complies.

You: On the ground, NOW!

BG: No. I am going to just leave very slowly.

He then proceeds to keep his hands fully extended in the air making a very big V with his arms, turns his back to you and starts to proceed to the front door, all the time keeping his arms in that big V. At no time does he make a threatening motion. As he gets to the front door, he says:

BG: I am going to lower my right hand and open the door. Then I am going to leave.

I have never heard of a BG doing this, but what would you do? He obviously knows where you live and knows you have guns. You can't justify shooting him in the back, but if you let him go, he most probably will return with buddies. You don't want to physically confront him. So what are the options?

If i walk in the house he has to walk past me to leave,I don't give a rats ass how high his hands are in the air if he stats closing the gap between us after i tell him to go prone I will assume #1 having a firearm pointe at him isn't scaring him and #2 if he comes any closer he may attempt to disarm me.I will warn him if you do not comply i will shoot,I believe he will be able to tell that i'm not the type of person that thinks just pulling a gun will scare off a threat,I believe by the tone of my voice and finger on trigger ,sight pcture center mass if he don't hit the prone voluntarily, i will help him.
My idea of him leaving nicely would be in Polce handcuffs.

Legally it's a very tight spot. In most states and most cases I've read/heard about, you can NOT shoot an unarmed man, especially in the back, and get away with it (unless your lawyer can make a case for disparity of force or the "he was trying to disarm me" defense).

Also tactically a tough situation - if you let him go, odds are he'll be back with a few buddies sometime soon.
But could you MORALLY pull the trigger? I don't think I could unless I really believed he was a credible threat to my life / my family's life.

I like dukalmighty's idea about getting between him and the door.

You know, you could say to him "if you move one flippin' inch, I don't care if its towards the door or not, I'm going to blow your (name body part) off" and you'd be the only one in the world that would know you weren't serious.

I'd also try the "toss 'em your cell phone and make 'em call the cops" routine if possible.

Just my two cents, interesting scenario though. I doubt any of us will ever find such an intelligent BG, though.

There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."
- General George Patton Jr

If I come home and walk into a BG in my house...there won't be much talking. Once the command to quit breathing is given...100% compliance WILL be followed...
Those in my house to 'pillage and burn'...will have already 'earned' their reward. I must conclude that inside my home, any BG means to harm me and my family...I WILL fear for my life and react accordingly.
My wife also understands that ANYONE in our home for bad intentions WILL be dealt with quickly and violently...no exceptions (management reserves the right to refuse service, sort of...)

If i walk in the house he has to walk past me to leave,I don't give a rats ass how high his hands are in the air if he stats closing the gap between us after i tell him to go prone I will assume #1 having a firearm pointe at him isn't scaring him and #2 if he comes any closer he may attempt to disarm me.I will warn him if you do not comply i will shoot,I believe he will be able to tell that i'm not the type of person that thinks just pulling a gun will scare off a threat,I believe by the tone of my voice and finger on trigger ,sight pcture center mass if he don't hit the prone voluntarily, i will help him.
My idea of him leaving nicely would be in Polce handcuffs.

The moral question is the toughest. I agree that if he approaches me it would be a bad idea and he/she would know this. I would shoot them in fear of being disarmed. If moving away from me he might just well get free ...for now.
I could honestly see a BG more like 'bolting' for the front door than actually talking his way out the door. But either could possibly happen. BG's can be unpredictable, but I would not shoot them in the back period. I have way too much to lose to do that.

If I catch someone in my house, they hit the floor without conversation. When I get home, my family is with me. I always enter the house first (just in case someone might be in there), and there is no way I can let the BG get out the door because my children are standing there.

B.T.W. If they are in my house, then there is a possibility that they have found one of my weapons, so it would be unclear if he were armed or not.

If he was at my house when I walked in and he wasn't already dripping blood then he has to be armed. My boxers are pretty protective about their house and if they don't have him chewed up then that means he eliminated them and had to have been armed to do so.

So, he is armed and dangerous as far as I'm concerned and that is enough for me. Of course, if he wasn't armed he was probably already supper for my pups so I wouldn't have a decision anyway.